Sunday, June 29, 2014

Last weekend, the hubs and I took a weekend trip to Atlantic City for a late Anniversary getaway. Of course, I joined WW on Thursday, so I had food choices and exercise on the brain! Not to mention a new challenge group I found, called Fi.tt Challenges, for users of FitBits and Jawbones. If you meet certain challenges, you get points to use towards prizes like water bottles, headbands, workout bags, and more.
My poor hubs!
We started Friday morning with breakfast at home, and then headed right for the Cape May Zoo. It was the perfect day for a stroll through the zoo. Poor hubs, I made him walk, and walk, and walk.

For real, this guy was doing laps around his enclosure, it was hysterical!

my favorite part! SO shady and cool

selfie with the hubs....and a big stuffed bear

I think we covered about 2 miles! Next stop? AC baby! We stopped at McDonald's for lunch and instead of getting a salad, I got a hamburger Happy Meal. Not my finest moment, I admit, but it was yummy, and I was a good girl, and ate my apples!
We hit the Outlets first, lots more walking, plus a cute dress and shirt from Forever 21 and a new Coach wallet. Not too shabby! Then it was time for the massage the hubs surprised me with the week before. I put the phone away so there are no pics, just one hour of total bliss.
Little bit of trivia: getting a massage releases toxins, and when you are on your stomach and the masseuse is massaging your back, it makes your nose stuff up. It.was.crazy. When I finally sat up, I was woozy and she said that was normal, too. I think I got almost all the way back to the lockers before I felt normal again!
We had so much time before dinner, that we decided to walk some more. We hit the boards and started walking, thinking of getting a snack. First we stopped to take some pics of this massive sandcastle...

It was so big that I had to take a bunch of pics and collage them together! The hubs saw Jimmy Buffet's up ahead, so we stopped in for a beverage and some pretzel sticks. Yummy!

We walked a bit more, then decided it was time to shower for dinner. I was all oily from my massage, so I definitely didn't mind! I decided to wear my new dress. Don't we clean up nice? We were about to try out Amada, a Spanish restaurant that serves Tapas, small plates of the most delicious food!

We couldn't decide what we wanted, so we ordered it all! 6 different dishes, plus a bonus dish sent out by the chef. From left to right, top to bottom: Lamb meatballs ... flat bread with duck, foie gras, and fig ... ham croquettes ... a cheese I can't remember with bread and lavender honey ... chorizos ... spicy potatoes ... and the chips and sauce from the chef. OMG I ate a little of each and it.was.heaven.
We thought we would donate a little money to the casino as well, but we actually won a bit at the money wheel, and then I spent a little of that playing Willy Wonka slots (what fun!).

The next morning, I ran 4 miles on the boards. It was humid, but not too terrible! We also did a bit ore shopping, and I ended both days with around 18K steps!

I definitely went over my points on those 2 days because, of course, we had breakfast and lunch out on Saturday as well (crepes with Nutella for breakfast and lunch at Atlanta Bread) but I was sure to make better choices every day afterwards.
I ended the week down 1 pound, which I will take, thank you very much!

Marathon training has been going well, and I don't want to derail now that summer is here!

Saturday, June 28, 2014

I travel a lot during the course of the year, for races or quick getaways with the hubs, and I love having apps to keep me moving!

I was thrilled that I got the chance to try out the 7M Workout App as a Fitfluential Ambassador!

As soon as I got a chance to check it out, I knew it would be perfect! Each workout is 7 minutes long, a little more if you do the Warmup and cool down, total body, and can be done anywhere! You get to choose your exercise level and your motivational level, and you can easily adjust both as you progress! You also get to give each exercise a thumbs up or a thumbs down.

I tried it the first time in my house:

It was a great strength workout after my run! I hate wall sits. Just saying. I know, I know, they are great for your body, but they.are.hard. I wanted to give it a thumbs down, but I didn't. After all, it isn't the Wall Sits' fault that I stink at doing it!

The next time, I did it in my backyard! Our chairs were great for tricep dips, and our back step came in handy for step ups. The whole time, I could see the hammock, where I was going afterwards to read a book! Let me point out here that i also hate tricep dips. I have such puny triceps, that they are always difficult for me! I am so glad that they show up in these workouts! With only 7 minutes total, I always know that they won't last forever!

One day when I was babysitting my Wonder Twins, they got off the bus and couldn't wait to use their iPads all day. Ummmmmm no it's beautiful out, we are going to the park!

While they played, I did a workout and used the park equipment to do step ups and planks, and the ground cover was great for my joints while I did jumping jacks!

I also used the app on a recent trip to Atlantic City. Total blogger fail, I took all these great pics and screen shots during the workout, but I deleted them! OMG!

This is where I did the workout, though! That day, it was a lot of planking, but there were some squats that used a bench so I used....well...a bench! They had them all up and down the boardwalk. It was a great finish to my 4 mile run! Bonus? It was early and there was no one around to watch me plank on the boardwalk!

****I also received a great resistance band (not necessary to complete the workouts, but super convenient as far as packing goes!) and a great book called the Corporate Athlete Advantage. I have not started it yet, but I cannot wait to dig in, it looks interesting, and covers all facets of your life! Thanks, Fitfluential!****

I am LOVING this app! It is FREE, which is always a bonus! Here are a few stats in case I failed to mention them:

3

6 body resistance exercises developed and tested by Chris Jordan, creator of the original 7 Minute Workout

·18 new workouts with more than 1,000 different variations, all rooted in science

·Ability to ‘build your own workout’ guided by the science of the original workout

·A “Smart Workout” feature that utilizes science-based coaching techniques to help make exercise a healthy habit

·Mix and match workouts – with over tens of thousands of fitness experiences

·High-quality video and a dynamic and easy-to-use interface

Ok, get the app, do the first workout, and tell me how much you loved it!

Friday, June 27, 2014

I was given a 6 month membership to MyYogaWorks in order to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own!

I have been saying for months that I really need to do some cross training. It seems that all I do is run! I have started adding yoga into my schedule, and have done yoga every day this week! I am already seeing a difference!

MyYogaWorks is the perfect website to help me on this journey to do yoga every day! They have individual videos, as well as Series videos to help you reach your goals!
I started out trying their individual videos, choosing a 45 minute length (you can shoos anywhere from 5-90 minutes!) with Weight Loss as my goal, and core as the body part I wanted to focus on.
It was crazy! I felt really stretched out afterwards, and I was a sweaty mess.
Afterwards, I surfed around for what I might try the next day. I discovered that they have a Yoga for Runners Series! I plan to try that one after my next run! I ran last night, but it was too late for anything by the time I got back!

I also tried out their Spring Yoga Challenge. I loved it, and cannot wait to continue on. Yesterday was my first day, and I plan to follow it every day for the next four weeks! I was checking out their other Journey Challenges, and now I am confused! What to do next?

I am liking the Mindful Fitness Series..... I would love to try partner yoga but I doubt the hubs would go for it!

But Wait! I want to learn to do a headstand! And Bakasana!

Yoga for Athletes, Firefly, Road Trip? I am bringing my laptop to our Maine trip to do that one! We are going for a long race weekend, and I will need some yoga to center me while I am there!

Upper Body Strength also looks great because, well, I have none! Flying Pigeon and Handstands are also on my yoga bucket list! Did I mention no arm strength? I bet that Upper Body Strength series would prep me for those more difficult Series!

Pros?

You can customize your workout every day!

The instructors are so precise, and they tell you everything you need to do as you are doing it, you never have to look up!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

When Pure Via asked me if I would be interested in participating in their campaign via Fitfluential I jumped right on board!

First, let's talk about the fact that June 10th was National Iced Tea day. Ever since I gave up Diet Cola, iced tea has been my new bestie! I drink it all.day.long.

Why did I quit diet sodas? For the same reason I can only drink some pre-made diet iced teas, and mostly stick to unsweetened tea that I sweeten myself. I am allergic to aspartame.

This seems to be a family problem. It gives my dad and brother a blinding headache and it gives me excruciating stomach pain. For real, like the alien is trying to burrow out of my stomach kind of pain.

I can't use the blue packets but I can use the pink and yellow, although they are both a very small step up. I prefer to keep it as natural as possible!

Pure Via helps me there! Their sugar packets are Stevia, all natural, non GMO, and I love that I can just stick them in my purse!

I am also loving the cool mason jar-like cup they included for my drinking pleasure. That is, when the teenie isn't stealing it. I think I need an extra!

A little info about the Pure Via liquid sweetener, which I haven't tried yet, but plan to use soon to make blueberry muffins!:

And the packets:

For more information , you can check out their Facebook page and Twitter. You are sure to find lots of amazing recipes at both sites, so check back often!!

The folks at Pure Via knew how jealous you would all be, so they are offering one of my readers a gift as well!
I know that some other Ambassadors are also hosting a giveaway, and you can totally enter them all to increase your chances of winning, but please be sure to let us know if you won more than once, so we can pick a new winner and spread the love! There can only be one winner per household, US residents only.
So how do you win?
SO simple! Follow Pure Via on Facebook and Twitter, using the links above, and let me know what you will use your prize for! Comment below once you have done all three for 3 chances to win. You must comment to be entered, but following them on Social Media is optional. (commenting will get you one entry).
The winner will be announced on the morning of July 3rd, so be sure to enter before then!

Saturday, June 21, 2014

It started on Saturday morning with a local race, Kevin Brue's Father's Day 5k for Melanoma Awareness. I went to high school with his sister, my brother was friends with him, and his whole family belongs to our beach club. He was a father, husband, runner, and all around nice guy. I never miss this race!

It also runs past my house! I love that I can walk there and back! Score! I met some friends beforehand....

We watched the kids run and then lined up for our own race. I ran with my friend Grace again this year! She has just started back up the C25K program so we knew that there would be walking, especially since it was so hot!

Grace did an amazing job and we finished in about 38 minutes.

This message was just before the mile 3 marker!

After the race, the hubs and I hopped in the car and drove about an hour south to do a scavenger hunt! It was a fundraiser for the East Coast Enduro Association to preserve trail access for Enduro motorcycling. It was a four hour scavenger hunt that had us driving all over south Jersey! At every stop we had to take a selfie for proof, look for a flag on occasion, and often take bonus pics.

We found one flag. Kind of a fail, but we did hit 15 of the 25 locations! Woot!

We took some fun selfies..

We found one flag, and some creatures....

And we managed to get a bonus shot that only one other team got, although ours was better...

These guys were more than willing to pose!

It was am amazing day! We drove all over, saw some great sites, and covered over four miles on foot! We find out on Tuesday night if we won, at a Gift Auction dinner!

Whew! What a long day!

Sunday morning I woke up bright and early to run our second Girls on the Run 5k. Two of our girls were running so the head coach and I wanted to be there!

The drive up was a little long but completely painless! I was a little early, but it gave me time to get my bib and tee and leave my stuff in the car. And take a selfie.

Everyone rocks a tutu at GOTR! I got a lot of compliments that day!

Since I was so early, I volunteered with Stacie at registration. It amazed me how many people thought the race was free! You do have to pay to participate in GOTR, but the race is not included in the fee. I am guessing that not all coaches made that very clear! I was also amazed at how many registered at the last minute!

We packed up at the last minute and headed to the start.

Another selfie:

Love my girls!

We were off! We all went our separate ways, and I ran most of it myself. It was crazy hot and crazy hilly. Oh, and the 5k and scavenger hunt the day before? Wore.me.out.

Me legs were very tired! I took my time, enjoyed watching all of the girls having fun, and finished in almost 39 minutes. So much slower than usual but so worth it! I made it just in time to get a medal, they stopped giving them to adults shortly after!

Friday, June 20, 2014

I was having trouble deciding what to give away this time! I have another giveaway coming up, but I wanted this one to be separate from that! I have been loving my FitBit lately, and since I can't afford to give one of those away, I went with this awesome Pure Via step counter instead. The lid flips open to reveal your steps! What a great way to make sure you are moving enough this summer!

Since you are moving, you might decide to move around outside, and you might need lip balm for your dry lips! It has an SPF of 15! AND you might also want some new tunes, or maybe a new app or 3, so I included a $15 i Tunes gift card!

The next decision was how to pick a winner. I could do a rafflecopter, or an old fashioned question and answer kind of giveaway. It's summer, so let's keep it simple!
Comment below and let me know what your favorite summer food is! Link it to a recipe for a bonus entry!
How easy is that? Piece of cake!
So let's hear it!

What is your favorite summer food?
Oh, and be sure to check out all of the other blogs that will also be giving away something! The giveaway will run from June 20-29th, so you have plenty of time to hop about.

For me, this is definitely a family affair! I have taken the boy once and the teenie twice, and I plan to take the teenie with me a couple of times this year!

What is it about The Color Run? Check out this year's swag, for starters:

yes! everyone gets a sling bag this year, along with the tee, headband, bracelet, and bonus color for the Finish Line event!

And then there is the party at the finish line, although I am getting ahead of myself!

party at the finish line! Photo by The Color Run

The music is amazing, and there is a new color at every kilometer mark!

If that isn't enough fun all at once, there is a discount code:

Type the code in at checkout, do not copy and paste! Not valid with any other discounts or promotions!

And when you are done, you can pose like this, because, you know, it's cool and all:

The Color Run, also known as the Happiest 5K on the Planet, is a safe, fun, unique paint race that celebrates health, happiness, and individuality! It is perfect for people of all ages, and is totally stroller friendly! Most of the color will wash out of your clothes and will wash off of your body (although it has been known yo hang around for a few days, making conversations fun and interesting for days!)
It is the single largest event series in the United States, and has more than tripled in growth, hosting over 170 events in 30+ countries in 2013!

The teenie and I will be in Brooklyn in July! I am so excited to run another event with her! She gets faster each year, and really loves the finish line event!

Not a runner? That's okay! Many people walk the entire event! The first year, it was super hot in NYC and we ran a little, and then walked through every color station! It was so much fun and we really maximized the amount of color!
When the by and I did the NJ event, it was DO packed with people you *had* to walk! We had so much fun and saw so many crazy people doing crazy things! A group of men even did the whole even carrying a huge log on their shoulders!
Our last event was Lehigh Valley, SO beautiful, and we ran the whole thing! The teenie was so proud of herself!